MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

5/7 Extra bases

Expect rookie Esmailin Caridad to rejoin the Cubs on Sunday. Caridad threw two innings Thursday in his second rehab outing for Triple-A Iowa. He gave up one hit, a solo home run. The Cubs will likely move one of the right-handers in the bullpen: Jeff Gray or Justin Berg.

* Rookie Tyler Colvin will get a start Saturday and Sunday. It’s part of Lou Piniella’s outfield rotation plan to keep the veterans fresh.

* What happens with Mike Fontenot and Jeff Baker now that Ryan Theriot is the second baseman?

“They become utility players,” Piniella said. “I like both of them. They’re both good players. Right now we’re going to go with the young kid at short and Ryan at second and hopefully it gets us better.”

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6 Comments

I hate the fact that Fontenot once again drew the short straw. He is a really good 2nd basemen, and he has been hitting really well this year. Now he lost his job, through no fault of his own.

Last year he had to learn 3rd base on the fly, and he didn’t have a great season. That wouldn’t have happened if we would have had a back up 3rd basemen.

The only good thing that could come from this, is that hopefully he will be a better 3rd basemen this year, and we can use him there and bench Ramirez. Let’s really put the players on the field that are playing well, and Ramirez is NOT playing well.

All three established veteran players, Soriano, Fukodome and Theriot are hitting well at this time yet only someone like Theriot with his “reasonable” paygrade is deemed movable in order to place what we are told is a very talented player ready to play everyday in the majors, that player being Castro of course. We were told the same about Colvin and Pinella stated so himself about him being an everyday player yet for some reason (138 million reasons…?) Soriano, the only player of the three that is actually a bad defensive player is not deemed movable even for a few games a week to make room for Colvin, this despite the mantra of the Cubs needing more lefthanded bats. Hmmm…makes you think Hendry has more talent than given credit for, in addition to his incredible skills as a GM his must also be quite the painter too as he did an outstanding job of painting himself, Lou the team and us fans into a corner.

Lee and Ramirez both need to go. Bring Tracy back .300
Colvin at first
Grabow –by by
Z back in rotation with Caridad back– Gorza back to bullpen
Berg to Iowa and find any right hander not on a contract
Tired of seeing a team with this talent –losing

I think the Cubs can establish some consistency now that they have Castro up at this level. He won’t be great all the time, but overall he’ll be awesome. The infield is set. Sure Lee and Ramirez need to hit, and they will – patience people. What those two are lacking are some fire. People look to these two guys to rally the team (but I’d have to say Byrd seems to motivate alot better). As for the outfield, to build some consistency, this “5 man rotation” has to stop. Colvin – LF, Byrd – CF, Fukadome – RF. There. Done. Build consistency off that. Soriano can come off the bench, and hell, even play occassionaly for rest or a double switch; however, Nady is NOT suitable for defense so why put him there late in the game or at all (See results Friday). He’s a pinch hitter for the pitcher’s spot, no more no less. Jonny Gomes couldn’t be any more happier than to slap a base hit to the guy who can’t throw anybody out right now in that blow out. Opponents do there homework: If Soriano or Nady are in the outfield, just hit it to them all day.

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